Brush or rubbing device



Oct. 25, 1949. J. rvlBREEN BRUSH OR RUBBING DEVICE Filed oct. 9, 1948FIG.

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ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 25, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT iJHCE BRUSH ORRUBBIN G DEVICE James McBreen, Albany, N. Y.

Application October 9, 1948, Serial No. 53,610

(Cl. 12S-62) 1 claim. l

This invention relates to a brush or rubbing device and is hereinillustrated in some detail in the form of a two-faced flexible rubbingdevice adapted to serve in bathing or massage.

In the form shown a rubber sponge surface carries on its back an arrayof short resilient pillars which serve as thick bristle-like rubbingelements, so that the device offers alternative types of surfaces for aback Washer, for example.

In the form shown the device includes a pulling device, such as a pairof cords, shown as chains ending in pull handles and passing through therubber structure, say between the backings of the sponge and pillarsurfaces.

The chains may consist of links of headed short lengths of wire unitedby nearly closed smooth metal spheres, so that no projecting points canscratch the skin of a user.

It is found that the usual relatively smooth backs of the two faces ofrubber material are adequately held united by Some commercial types ofrubber cement.

To prevent the rubber structure from sliding along the chains a bar isshown at each end of the rubber structure, and each bar is blockedagainst being pushed along the chains by an abutment on each chain.

It is found that many materials are too brittle to be used as such bars,or as handles for the ends of the chains but that the plastic used forbaby teething rings makes almost nombreakable handles.

Other features and advantages Will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 shows one form of the invention with dimensions modified forbetter illustration- Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section.

Fig. 3 shows a fragment of the back partly broken away.

Fig, 4 is an enlarged cross-section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

In the form shown the rectangular layer of rubber sponge l of a usualcommercial form having the usual roughly smooth back ll was laid facedov/n on a flat surface and covered with suitable commercial rubbercement.

On this were laid a pair of flexible connectors, shown as nickel-platedbrass chains l2, i3 near each edge, but spaced inward from the edge, andthen there was laid on the cement-covered sponge back il the similarlycement-covered roughly smooth rectangular back i4 of a sheet of rubberI5 With upstanding short pillars i6 forming a sort of brush.

It was found that several commercially available rubber cements hold therubber surfaces so rrnly together as to answer any ordinary purpose orwithstand use, though the surfaces may be vulcanized together.

Thus the two rubber surfaces hold the chains I2, i3 concealed.

Each chain i2, i3 where it emerges from the ends il of the rubberstructure is shown as passing through a cross-bar i8 of the above namedplastic or other material non-corrcdng in soap and Water and not easilyshattered hit against a bathroom tile or tub. Thus if the rubberstructure slides on the chains it is blocked by heaping up against across bar i8.

The chains l2, i3 are found very satisfactory if made of very shortlengths of wire i3 held at each end, as by being headed, Within a nearlyclosed globe 2c of thin nickel-plated brass. Thus there is no projectingpoint or edge with a pin in the chain which might cut or scratch a user.

Just outside each cross bar iii cach chain is interrupted by an enlargedlink 2l of a size unable to go through the hole 22 through which thechain passes in the cross bar i8. Each link 2l is shown as embracing twoadjacent globes 20, each lying against a rounded interior of its link2l, which is closed around it under bead chain Patent No. 1,692,640.

In the form shown each chain i2, i3 is eX- tended in a loop as acontinuation of the other chain, passing through a suitable handle as ailng 23 of the same material as the cross bar It is convenient to havethe chain links of such length that the 2-inch rings 23 run in them atabout ll inches from the cross-bar i8 IA convenient size of rubbersponge is l2 by 4 inches, and the pillars i6 are satisfactory if Taeinch high and spaced about 7 to the inch each way, and about le inchdiameter.

Highly effective color effects have been obtained by combining a lilacpink niliarnbearing sheet i5 with a green or brown sponge sheet l ll,and light pink bars i8 and rings The device is Well adapted to wash andmassage a users back in the usual shower bath, as well as adapted forother uses,

Having thus described one embodiment of the invention in some detail,what is claimed is:

A combined brush and sponge device, comprising a rectangular sheet cisponge rubber several times as long as it is wide and having a washingface and a smooth back, a second rubber sheet of the same size having abristle face and a REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofrecord in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Doughty Sept. 19, 1905Oates July 3, 1917 Glynn May 28, 1918 Davis Jan. 8, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTSCountry Date Great Britain Jan. 2, 1912

